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centerstand vs kickstand for parking

When should a center stand be used ? The reason I ask is my friend who rides a RTP like mine said the center stand should only be used for maintenance. But, up until recently, I have been using it to park my bike. For example, I used it for the first 5 months I owned my bike to park. Since I park in a concrete garage that is level, I didn't see this as an issue. Also, parking the bike on the center stand in a garage makes checking the oil easy. But, my friend convinced me to stop using the center stand to park. But, even at the dealers park all the bikes on the center stand. Besides failing over easier there any risks of parking a bike on the center stand ?

Use your centerstand as you like. If you're in a level garage, the centerstand is fine. It has a smaller triangle footprint than using the sidestand does and is less stable, but you already know that. As long as nobody knocks the bike and it tips over, who cares? Your bike, your garage, your rules.

I would never use the centerstand to park it any place else, unless you had to work on the bike. I saw a couple of Gold Wings last week on the BRP parked side by side on their centerstands, which I thought odd and so chose not to park next to them since the parking lot wasn't flat, was asphalt, and the wind gusts were pretty high up top at the Pisgah Inn. Maybe they know something I don't, but seemed like a recipe for disaster.

When should a center stand be used ? The reason I ask is my friend who rides a RTP like mine said the center stand should only be used for maintenance. But, up until recently, I have been using it to park my bike. For example, I used it for the first 5 months I owned my bike to park. Since I park in a concrete garage that is level, I didn't see this as an issue. Also, parking the bike on the center stand in a garage makes checking the oil easy. But, my friend convinced me to stop using the center stand to park. But, even at the dealers park all the bikes on the center stand. Besides failing over easier there any risks of parking a bike on the center stand ?

Everyone has different opinions on this. I've had several bikes over the years with center stands, and I can only tell you my personal experiences.

From what I understand, the '99 R1100RT I own will very easily roll forward off it's side stand if left in neutral, and nudged from behind (or parked on any sort of decline). I find the center stand much more stable in that respect. While the bike is positioned upright, the center stand feet are placed far enough apart where I wasn't worried leaving it in a windy parking lot.

The other issue I remember from my old GoldWing days (40K+ miles), where the manual stated to use the center stand so that oil will not collect in the lower bank of cylinders. If a Wing was left to sit, rumor was it would smoke on one side until the cylinder was clear of excess oil. It never happened to me, but then, I used the center stand.

What does all this mean? If I just stop for a few minutes - side stand. Anything longer - Center stand. But, it's your bike...

my friend who rides a RTP like mine said the center stand should only be used for maintenance.

One of the silliest statements I've heard in a quite a while.

I park all of my bikes on the centerstand, 99% of the time (including my RT-P!).

In fact, with BMW boxers, parking in the centerstand helps avoid oil smoke pouring out of the left cylinder from sitting leaned on the sidestand (occassionally a few drops of oil can get past the ring gaps into the combustion chamber when on the side stand).

If the concern is the bike getting bumped by a car or passerby in an office garage, if the hit is hard enough to knock a bike of the centerstand, the hit was hard enough to screw you over whether on sidestand or centerstand. In fact, being on the sidestand can be worse -- easier to knock over from a rear-pushing-forward bump.

Park however you want. The centerstand is plenty stable in 95% of the conditions you'll encounter. If the wind is hard and gusty, parking on the side stand is a good idea (better yet, park on the lee side of something!). Side stand is also better on soft ground (but you better have a sidestand plate if the ground is that soft).

I use the center strand on my Airhead only in my garage and my oilhead doesn't have a center strand. I used to use the center stand frequently until I saw what can happen on uneven surfaces or in windy situations. I always keep my bikes in gear (since I bend a Russell sidestand with the bike in neutral with the bike pointed uphill).

'You can say what you want about the South, but I almost never hear of anyone wanting to retire to the North.

From what I understand, the '99 R1100RT I own will very easily roll forward off it's side stand if left in neutral, and nudged from behind (or parked on any sort of decline).

Why would you want to park it in neutral?

With no handbrake (like a car or truck, manual or automatic), nor a Park position for your transmission (like an automatic car/truck), leaving it in gear is your only "parking brake". we teach leaving it in first gear in the very first exerercise of the MSF Beginner Rider Course. its a good plan.

2 wheels and a sidestand makes a larger base for the "parking triangle" than does ANY centerstand and 1 wheel, and a larger base is more stable.
c-stand in garage (as much for compact storage), sidestand everywhere else.

Acejones

Always listen to your friends no matter how wrong they are. It's like listening to your mother, Listen, nod and do what you damn well please.

I use the side stand when I'm too lazy to use the center stand except on a soft surface like grass. Then it is always the side stand with a hard thingy. Never had a problem in 25 years of riding BMW's.

I use the center stand most of the time with all my current and past airheads, K-bikes, and oilheads. Here is where I use the center stand and side stand

General parking: center stand
gas station: Always use center stand
dirt or uneven ground: side stand
backing into a curb to park: side stand

When fueling you should use the center stand. Years ago, when I worked in a gas station, I used the fire extinguisher far too many times. Seen people fuel up while seated and have the bike fall over or bumped. Fuel pours out of the tank and catches the bike on fire. Or, the rider gets knocked, and the fuel nozzle comes out of the tank, and pumps gas on the engine (or themselves). If the fire burns enough, it sets off the overhead fire suppression system, which automatically calls the fire department. A whole lot of drama.

I use the center stand when performing maintenance. I almost always park on the sidestand. The bike doesn't care.

My K75s are simple to get on and off the center stand. My R1150R goes on easily but is difficult to get off. I traveled this summer on an F650 single with about 150 pounds of luggage. It is hard to get on the centerstand when naked, and takes two people when loaded.

Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russellhttp://web.bigbend.net/~glaves/

Always listen to your friends no matter how wrong they are. It's like listening to your mother, Listen, nod and do what you damn well please.

I use the side stand when I'm too lazy to use the center stand except on a soft surface like grass. Then it is always the side stand with a hard thingy. Never had a problem in 25 years of riding BMW's.

I never listen to my friends; I'm too busy making my own mistakes.

Echoing Paul G; my R1150R goes on the center stand real easy, have to be a little more careful bringing it down. My F650GS doesn't go on the center stand nearly as easy, but comes down pretty easy.

None of the posters must own a K1200RS. The side stand on the K stands it nearly straight up. It leans less than 6 degrees when on the side stand on level ground? You can't pull to the side of the road and expect the bike to stand up on the side stand. You have to look for a slope going down on the left side of the bike to increase the lean angle until it is stable, therefore the K bike spends most of it's time on the center stand. I have knocked the K bike over in the garage by just bumping into it with it on the side stand. Now the GS is a different story it leans at more than 15 degrees. It is very stable in all normal conditions you normally see for parking. Most of the time the K is on the center stand unless I'm somewhere that has favorable parking (it slopes the way I need it to). The GS stays on its side when out, but on the center stand when in the garage.